July 14, 2025
Blog
YAFFED Monthly Update: Yeshiva Education On The Ballot
Plus: Legal Win + We’re hiring! Dear Friends, As many are looking at the NYC mayoral race as a crucible for the issues they care about most, the YAFFED team eagerly awaits the results of next week’s primary. The crisis of educational neglect in yeshivas is a topic the leading candidates are certainly familiar
July 10, 2025
Blog
Watch: NYC Mayoral Candidates Debate Enforcing Curriculum Requirements On Yeshivas
“Is it time to actually resolve the issue rather than continue talking?” At a mayoral candidate forum at B’nai Jeshurun on June 8, 2025, moderator and NY1 reporter Errol Louis asked the candidates what they would do to address the systemic crisis of educational neglect in Hasidic and Haredi yeshivas and if they would be
June 9, 2025
YAFFED Monthly Update: We’re Not Alone, and We’re Not Deterred.
This is an online edition of the YAFFED Monthly Update newsletter for May 2025. Sign up here to receive this newsletter and other YAFFED updates in your inbox. Join us on zoom this Monday at 5pm – Supporters’ Briefing Plus: Mayoral Forum on June 8, What we know about the budget bill, and more. Last
May 15, 2025
Watch: YAFFED Executive Director Adina Mermelstein Konikoff on Spectrum News
The above news segment aired on Spectrum News on Thursday night, March 27, 2025, with reporting by Kate Lisa. For more, visit Spectrum News or read segments from the article below: State Education Department: Don’t play politics with nonpublic school standards State Education Department officials told Gov. Kathy Hochul and legislative leaders Thursday not to
April 1, 2025
Blog
Tracking NYC’s Failing Yeshivas: A Deeper Dive into Data from YAFFED’s Research
This Blog post is the first in a series where we’ll share a deeper look into some of the qualitative research and quantitative data that we’ve gathered and analyzed on the yeshiva sector. We’ll soon have the ability to map out in a much clearer fashion just how well New York’s yeshivas are performing, allowing us to
March 10, 2025
Blog
“No longer deemed a school”: NYSED takes unprecedented action on failing yeshivas
February 18, 2025 Last week, the New York State Education Department issued letters to three Brooklyn yeshivas who have obstructed the department’s ongoing school review process that they are no longer designated schools that teach compulsory education, an unprecedented and important first step that we hope serves as a wakeup call for other noncompliant schools.
February 18, 2025
Blog
Watch: YAFFED’s Beatrice Weber Takes Stand for Yeshiva Students at Albany Budget Hearing
YAFFED Senior Advisor Beatrice Weber testifying at the Joint Legislative Budget Hearing – Elementary Education/Secondary Education on 1/29/25. Testimony of Beatrice Weber, Senior Advisor, YAFFEDJoint Legislative Public Hearing on the 2025 Executive Budget Proposal: Elementary & Secondary EducationJanuary 29, 2025 Good morning, Chairs Krueger, Pretlow, Benedetto, Mayer, and members of the committee. Thank you for
February 11, 2025
Blog
YAFFED Executive Director Adina Mermelstein Konikoff in amNY – Protecting education standards for all students
by Adina Mermelstein Konikoff, YAFFED Executive Director The following appeared as an Op-ed in amNY on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 When Chaim left his Hasidic yeshiva at 16, he entered New York City public schools far behind in essential subjects like math, science, and history. Catching up was a monumental challenge, made even harder by
January 21, 2025
Blog
Here’s what critics are getting wrong about regulating yeshivas
Advocates against yeshiva oversight like Law Professor Michael A. Helfand are missing the mark on what should happen next after a Court ruling affirmed regulations to yeshivas By Christopher Hazen, Attorney, Counselor at Law, YAFFED On July 22, 2024 Professor Michael A. Helfand at Pepperdine University’s Caruso School of Law in Malibu, California authored an
August 13, 2024
Blog
Watch: Beatrice Weber and Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz from Uri L’Tzedek discuss public advocacy and every Jew’s responsibility for each other
Beatrice Weber joins Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz from Uri L’tzedek, an Orthodox social justice organization, for an interview to discuss how the value of כל ישראל ערבים זה בזה (every Jew is responsible for one another), is crucial in advocating for Hasidic children to receive a basic education. Watch the recording here or listen to it
August 7, 2024
Blog
Beatrice Weber Interviewed on “In The Spotlight” with Abigail Pogrebin
Beatrice Weber joins Abigail Pogrebin on JBS to discuss YAFFED’s mission of improving education in Hasidic and Haredi schools.
July 23, 2024
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